BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 839 By: Denny (Brown) State Affairs 03-30-95 Senate Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Section 144, Article 6701d, V.T.C.S., regulates the amount that municipalities with a population under 5,000 may retain from traffic fines. Municipalities may retain revenue from traffic fines equal to 30 percent of total city revenue from the prior year. After a city has retained that amount, any portion of a traffic fine that exceeds $1 must be remitted to the state. Currently, money collected as a "special expense" is not included in the 30 percent revenue limitation. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 839 imposes a limitation on the amount of special expenses that certain municipalities may retain from the amount collected in certain court proceedings. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 144(b), Article 6701d, V.T.C.S., to authorize a municipality to retain, from fines collected for violation of any highway law as set forth in this Act and from special expenses collected under Article 45.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, in cases in which such violation is alleged, an amount equal to 30 percent of the municipality's revenue for the preceding fiscal year from all sources. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.